Pantheon Book 2: The Way of the Tao

The Verge of War

        "As of midnight, we're at war with the Ennead."

Melody sinks into her seat, her mouth falling open. The other Grecian apprentices sit around her in the common room, sharing her look of panic. Gabriel, the next in line to inherit the title of Zeus, drops into his seat after delivering the terrible news. He combs his fingers through his blonde hair, his usually cool demeanor lost to worry.

"You're joking, right?" Mark says with a weak chuckle. He looks around the room, his beady eyes jumping from person to person. His smile fades when nobody joins in with the joke. He clears his throat, speaking in a thick Brazilian accent. "But, what about Oliver? Wasn't he-"

"You honestly thought he could fix things?" Gabriel snaps through his teeth. "You met him, he's a coward."

"You have no idea what it's like, being a god," Lucas warns, gripping the arms of his chair so hard that they creak under his thick fingers. He stands, easily twice the size of the other two boys. "And he was forced into it, with no training."

"He was afraid of his own shadow," Gabriel says, waving his hand. "Sit down, now's not the time to argue. We need to prepare for the war."

"You think Zeus will do it?" Mark says, his voice low. "Maybe he's bluffing?"

"He isn't," Lucas and Gabriel answer at the same time. Kayla, the last apprentice, leans towards Melody. Her usual smile is gone, and she brushes her long blonde hair behind her ears nervously.

"What do you think? Do you-" Melody claps her hands, her eyes flashing a deep amber. The air ripples in the middle of the group, then splits open, revealing a scene beyond the small room. It's dark, illuminated only by the pale light of the full moon hanging above. The rift shows a long dock, wide enough for half a dozen people to stand shoulder to shoulder.

On one side of the dock stands a group of four, huddled together defensively. They're all in their mid-teens, the oldest looking to be Gabriel's age - 17. At the front is a boy with dirty blonde hair and a scar over his eyebrow. He's wearing a dark hoodie, shouting mutely at the other group. The oldest of the group - a boy with short red hair, blue eyes, and holding a strange curved sword - holds him back from charging. Standing behind them is a pretty girl with long brown hair and sharp eyes, wielding a bow and arrow. The last boy is Hispanic and short - or rather, is hunched over in fear. In his white-knuckled grip is a long silver staff, with two snakes extending from and wrapping around the shaft. The head sprouts a pair of small wings. The apprentices all recognize it at once; the staff of Hermes.

"What is this?" Lucas breathes, watching the confrontation with wide eyes. On the other side of the dock is another group, their features obscured by shadow. One of them steps forward confidently; a boy with slick black hair in an unbuttoned shirt. He grins and speaks to Oliver's group, but no sound comes from the image.

"I can't hear them," Gabriel grunts. "Make it work."

"I'm trying," Melody snaps, forcing her power into the rift. It fuzzes and blinks, making a small crackling sound. The two groups argue back and forth mutely for a few minutes, the image fading in and out. Then, with a pop, the image clears.

"By causing a war!?" The blonde roars, pulling free from the boy holding him back. He thrusts a finger at the other group accusingly. "You're not going to fix anything! Think about it - hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis! Think of everything the gods will throw at each other - hundreds of people will die!"

"We won't let it get that far!" The black-haired boy counters, baring his teeth.

"Who are these two?" Lucas says as they continue to argue. Mark shrugs, leaning closer.